19-year-old driver seriously injured in Cobb County crash
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A 19-year-old driver is fighting for his life after a serious crash in Cobb County on Monday night.
The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Bells Ferry Road south of Wentworth Drive, officials say.
What we know
According to investigators, 19-year-old Victor Morales was driving a black 2010 Infiniti G37 southbound in the left lane of Bells Ferry Road.
When the road curved left, officials say Morales lost control of the vehicle, which left the road and hit a tree in the median.
The vehicle eventually stopped in the southbound lanes of the road.
Medics rushed Morales to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with life-threatening injuries. His current condition has not been released.
What we don't know
The crash remains under investigation. Officials are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Cobb County Police Department's STEP Unit at (770) 499-3987.
The Source
Information for this story came from a release by the Cobb County Police Department.

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CNBC
2 days ago
- CNBC
Immigrant said to be framed for writing Trump threat letters remains detained, for now
An undocumented immigrant who prosecutors say was framed by a jail inmate for writing threatening letters about President Donald Trump was ordered Wednesday to remain detained by an immigration judge in Chicago to give a government lawyer more time to review evidence in the case. But an attorney for the immigrant Ramon Morales-Reyes, said he was hopeful that the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, resident would be released on bond after another immigration court hearing scheduled for Tuesday. The judge at the hearing will consider whether the 54-year-old Morales-Reyes is a flight risk or a danger to the community, said Cain Oulahan, his lawyer. Oulahan said that the Mexican national is eligible for bond. Morales-Reyes, who works as a dishwasher, has lived in the United States since 1986, has three children who are U.S. citizens and owns a home in Milwaukee, the attorney said. Oulahan told CNBC in an interview after the hearing that Morales-Reyes' family is "worried." 'They're having a hard time," the lawyer said. "They really want to see him again, but they're trying to keep a low profile." Oulahan said, "There were threats on social media" directed at the family after his arrest was announced in late May by the Department of Homeland Security. Morales-Reyes, who appeared via a video link at Wednesday's hearing, has been detained in a Wisconsin jail in the immigration case since May 22, when he was arrested outside his daughter's school on suspicion of writing the letters about Trump. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem touted his arrest more than a week later. "Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars," Noem said on May 28. But questions about whether Morales-Reyes actually wrote the letters sent threatening Trump and others to three law enforcement offices in Wisconsin were raised as early as May 24, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee District Attorney's Office on Monday. That complaint says that a man named Demetric Scott confessed to writing those letters — which bore Morales-Reyes' return address — from jail in a bid to get the immigrant deported so that he would be unavailable to testify at Scott's trial on armed robbery and battery charges in July. That case relates to Scott's alleged robbery of Morales-Reyes in 2023. Scott, a 52-year-old with a long criminal record, is now charged with identity theft, felony intimidation of a witness, and bail jumping in connection with the letters threatening Trump. The Milwaukee DA's Office on Wednesday declined to answer when CNBC asked when it notified DHS that Scott had confessed to writing the letters, citing the fact that the case is pending. CNBC has asked DHS when it was notified of the confession. "It does seem to me like there was some knowledge by local law enforcement that he didn't write the letters," Oulahan, the lawyer for Morales-Reyes, told CNBC. A month before being detained, Morales-Reyes had an application for a special visa for immigrants who are crime victims accepted for processing by the federal government. At Wednesday's bond hearing for Morales-Reyes in Chicago immigration court in Chicago, DHS attorney Caitlin Corcoran told Judge Carla Espinoza that she needed time to review the DA's criminal complaint against Scott, which she had only received on Tuesday evening. Corcoran did not argue against Morales-Reyes' eligibility for bond. DHS has said Morales-Reyes has a criminal record that includes arrests for "felony hit-and-run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier." But at Wednesday's hearing, Corcoran said she does not have proof that Morales-Reyes was convicted of the hit and run, which occurred in 1996. The DHS lawyer said the immigrant does have a 1996 conviction for disorderly conduct. Oulahan told CNBC it is not clear if the immigrant was convicted of the hit-and-run, but said that even if he had been it would not be a so-called crime of moral turpitude that would make him ineligible for bond in the detention case.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Milwaukee immigrant who police say was framed in Trump threat to remain in ICE custody
CHICAGO — An undocumented immigrant who police say was framed and wrongly accused of mailing a threat to shoot President Donald Trump will remain in detention for now. An immigration judge postponed a bond hearing for Ramón Morales-Reyes, 54, of Milwaukee, on June 4 and rescheduled it for June 10. The decision means Morales-Reyes will remain in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau. Immigration Judge Carla Espinoza said she and Caitlin Corcoran, an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security, needed more time to review the evidence submitted by Morales-Reyes' attorney Cain Oulahan. At the next hearing, she is expected to review whether Morales-Reyes poses a threat to the community and whether he is a flight risk. Morales-Reyes was detained on May 22 after immigration agents received a handwritten letter in English threatening to shoot Trump that arrived in an envelope with Morales-Reyes' name and address. Agents arrested him after he dropped his child off at school on Milwaukee's south side. Investigators quickly ruled out Morales-Reyes as a suspect in the letter since he cannot read, write, or fluently speak English. Six days later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a public statement accusing Morales-Reyes of sending the threat, a claim that came under immediate scrutiny from his family and attorneys. On June 2, prosecutors in Milwaukee charged Demetric Scott with sending the letter in the hopes Morales-Reyers would be deported and unavailable to testify against him in a separate robbery case. TIMELINE: Police quickly suspected a man detained by ICE was framed for Trump death threat. Then Kristi Noem accused him of the crime. Despite Noem's news release and ongoing media coverage, Corcoran, the DHS attorney, said she was not familiar with any information about the letter and needed time to review the evidence. "It just seems hard to believe, given the secretary publicized it and all the (media) coverage," said Oulahan, Morales-Reyes' deportation attorney, after the hearing. Morales-Reyes appeared by video for the hearing, which took place in a small courtroom in downtown Chicago. A few reporters and a sketch artist sat in the gallery observing the proceedings. Two other rooms in the courthouse were filled with people waiting for their cases to be called. Oulahan and Corcoran, the attorneys, agreed Morales-Reyes is likely bond-eligible, meaning he has not been convicted of certain crimes that make his detention mandatory. His arrests in 1996 do not make him ineligible given the available information, they said. In response to questions after the hearing, DHS released a statement on June 4, confirming that Morales-Reyes is no longer under investigation for threats against Trump. '(He) will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings as he is in the country illegally with previous arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier,' DHS said in an email. Publicly available records in Wisconsin connect a man named Ramon Morales Reyes to two incidents in 1996, one where he was accused of a hit-and-run and another where he was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, related to domestic violence. Based on available records, prosecutors did not charge the alleged hit-and-run and dismissed the criminal damage charge. The disorderly conduct charge resulted in a non-criminal conviction, which usually refers to a ticket. Before the immigration hearing, about 10 people with Milwaukee immigration advocacy organization Voces de la Frontera and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights gathered to support Morales-Reyes outside of the court. "We are standing behind him and his family because he is innocent," said Clara Nielsen, who came with Voces de la Frontera. "What is happening to him is wrong, and people need to know about it," she said. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director at Voces de la Frontera, said family members and lawyers have shared that Morales-Reyes suffers from anxiety and has been bullied at the detention center because of the DHS allegations. She also stressed the importance for Morales-Reyes to be reunited with his family and to be able to testify against the man accused of framing him in an upcoming jury trial. Morales-Reyes is a victim and witness of an armed robbery and assault case in 2023. He cooperated with law enforcement and has applied for a U visa. A U visa allows undocumented victims and witnesses of certain crimes to stay in the U.S. for up to four years if they help law enforcement investigate the crime. It is intended to encourage crime reporting from undocumented immigrant communities. Morales-Reyes' application was sent out over a month ago, but he has yet to receive an acknowledgment of receipt from the responsible agency, his attorneys said. The pending U visa does not protect Morales-Reyes from deportation unless the court grants some other form of protection. Oulahan, his deportation defense lawyer, said he is planning to ask for a cancellation of removal at a future hearing. That order would protect him from deportation. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Immigrant framed in Trump death threat case to remain in ICE custody
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Police quickly suspected a man detained by ICE was framed for Trump death threat. Then Kristi Noem accused him of the crime.
Within a day of Ramón Morales-Reyes' arrest, investigators had concluded he almost certainly was not the person responsible for writing a letter threatening to shoot President Donald Trump. But that did nothing to prevent Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from touting his arrest, releasing his photo and sharing a copy of the handwritten letter on social media six days later. The arrest of Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old Mexican immigrant living in Milwaukee, sparked intense scrutiny from the start. He was arrested after dropping off his daughter at school, once considered a sensitive location where immigration arrests should be avoided under earlier administrations. The Trump administration reversed that guidance in January. After Noem issued the news release, Morales-Reyes' attorneys and family said it was impossible for him to have penned the letter, given his lack of proficiency writing in either English or Spanish. On June 2, Milwaukee County prosecutors charged someone else with sending the letters. The suspect, Demetric Scott, confessed to forging the letters in the hopes Morales-Reyes would be deported and unavailable to testify against him in a separate robbery case, according to a criminal complaint. As of June 4, Noem's original statement that described Morales-Reyes as an "illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump" remained online without any correction or additional information. Here is a timeline of how the case unfolded, based on court records, and what is coming next: Morales-Reyes tells police he was riding his bicycle on the city's south side when a man approached him and started shouting. He pedaled faster to get away but the man caught up to him and attacked him with a corkscrew, cutting him under his left armpit. Morales-Reyes described the suspect to police, and officers arrest Demetric Scott in the same area hours later. Scott is charged with armed robbery, aggravated battery, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and bail jumping. He also had an open warrant for skipping court in a burglary case from 2022. His bail is set at $10,000. During a jury trial, Morales-Reyes testifies and identifies Scott as the man who robbed and assaulted him. Much of the attack was captured on a nearby Ring doorbell camera. Scott later testifies in his defense, saying the bicycle was his and had been stolen days earlier. He also says Morales-Reyes threatened him while they were out of view of the Ring camera. Morales-Reyes denied ever hitting or kicking Scott, telling the prosecutor: "I never wanted to. I never hurt him." The jury is not able to reach a decision. The court orders a mistrial and scheduled a new trial. Scott starts to make calls from the jail to ask people to mail letters on his behalf. The calls are recorded, which is routine in prisons and jails. Investigators did not review the calls until after Morales-Reyes' immigration arrest. An ICE field intelligence officer receives a handwritten letter in English threatening to assassinate Trump. Morales-Reyes' name and address are on the envelope. The Wisconsin Attorney General's Office and the Milwaukee Police Department receive similar letters. Immigration agents arrest Morales-Reyes and take him to Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau. Milwaukee detective Timothy Keller, who is assigned to the FBI-Milwaukee Joint Task Force, interviews Morales-Reyes. He learns Morales-Reyes cannot read, write, or fluently speak English. He also notices Morales-Reyes' handwriting is "completely different" from what is on the letters. Keller asks Morales-Reyes who might want to get him in trouble. Morales-Reyes tells him the only person he can think of is Scott, the person he would be testifying against in an upcoming trial scheduled for July 14. Immigration attorney Kime Abduli tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Morales-Reyes has been in the U.S. for at least 25 years and had recently applied for a U-visa. U-visas allow undocumented victims of certain crimes to stay in the U.S. for up to four years if they agree to help law enforcement in the investigation of the crime. Noem, the DHS secretary, issues a statement accusing Morales-Reyes of writing the letter and threatening Trump. She shares his photo and a copy of the letter. Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Susan Roth signs off on a warrant for investigators to search Scott's jail cell. Morales-Reyes' attorneys and family say it was impossible for him to have penned the letter, given his lack of proficiency writing in either English or Spanish. They say since the DHS news release, his family has received death threats. The Journal Sentinel asks DHS why the agency believes the letter was sent from Morales-Reyes. In response, a DHS senior official said it was an ongoing investigation. "Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record," the official said in an email. "He will remain in custody." According to the DHS statement, Morales Reyes entered the U.S. without authorization 'at least nine times' between 1998 and 2005, and had prior arrests for felony hit-and-run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier. Publicly available records in Wisconsin connect a man named Ramon Morales Reyes to two incidents in 1996, one where he was accused of a hit-and-run and another where he was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, related to domestic violence. Based on available records, prosecutors did not charge the alleged hit-and-run and dismissed the criminal damage charge. The disorderly conduct charge resulted in a non-criminal conviction, which usually refers to a ticket. Keller, the detective, interviews Scott. Scott admits he wrote the letters and envelopes and that he did so to try to prevent Morales-Reyes from testifying, the complaint says. That same day, investigators search Scott's jail cell and find a blue pen, an envelope with ICE's contact information and a pink paper note stating that he needed the address for the attorney general's office. Attorneys and advocates for Morales-Reyes call for DHS to retract what they describe as a false allegation. "Every minute that passes without the DHS issuing a correction to the serious allegation represents a real threat and danger to the family," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera. Prosecutors charge Scott with identity theft, felony witness intimidation and two counts of felony bail jumping. The Journal Sentinel reached out to DHS again and in response, received the same statement the agency released on May 29. Morales-Reyes is scheduled to appear in immigration court in Chicago. The hearing is postponed until June 10. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kristi Noem said man sent Trump death threat. Police say he was framed